The theme of this informative symposium, mostly by Italian scholars, can be found in Giuliano Amato's remark: "We Italians are in transit from the past to the future of industrial capitalism without having lived through the present." Italy's political culture is in a similar transition. Most of the essays breathe a certain confidence that Italian democracy, having survived so many crises, may yet go on to develop greater stability and growth. A massive array of facts bolsters a thoughtful analysis and makes this an eminently useful introduction to contemporary Italian politics.